Modern weapons systems involve expensive and complex technology, thus improving the weapon capability at the expense of operator training, which would be cost prohibitive using live weapons and full scale targets. Numerous training systems have been developed in an attempt to effectively and efficiently provide hands-on experience to weapons operators. A number of such systems employ laser or collimated light beams to simulate the projectile. Such systems must ignore or approximate factors such as lead, drop, drag, and flight time since the light beam does not approximate the trajectory or other flight characteristics of a projectile.
Many training devices employ screens on which targets are presented or distantly located targets, with various means of determining the operator's accuracy. Screen training devices do not require much space, but they may not provide satisfactory optical resolution. Displaced targets require large areas of training space.